At 85, Clayton Mannausau is still playing league hockey 3 nights a week
By Kevin Wallevand
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MOORHEAD, Minnesota (WDAY) — Age really is just a number.
Ask Clayton Mannausau of Moorhead.
If you’ve ever set a skate down on a local sheet of ice, there’s a good chance you’ve seen Mannausau. Because, at age 85, he is still skating circles around hockey players half his age.
At 85, Clayton Mannausau proves you’re never too old to play hockey
The Moorhead Sports Center is just home away from home for Mannausau. It’s 8 p.m. on a Wednesday night.
“You can see they are well worn,” Mannausau says of his Bauer skates.
While his friends might be in the recliner getting ready for bed, he is lacing up his skates.
“How many times have you laced up skates?” a reporter asks.
“I am not a mathematician,” Mannausau said, with a chuckle.
It is yet another night of getting ready for league hockey. Skating with men who could be his grandkids. And he skates year round.
“During the summer, I had Monday night, Tuesday night and Wednesday night,” he said.
Mannausau, like any kid who grew up by the border, laced up his skates at an early age. He was raised in the small town of Indus, Minn., where you could see Canada across the Rainy River. Hockey was a way of life. He skated at the local rink, which was heated — sort of.
“If you got there in time to start the stove,” he said.
Clayton Mannausau, Moorhead, can still outskate his teammates. He golfs everyday in the summer and finds time to play hockey three nights a week, after working out at his home gym.
Mannausau has made a name for himself. He is a member of the USA 80+ team. For years he has traveled to international competitions. He even played tournaments in Spain and Russia in the early 1990s. He just returned from Toronto. When people ask his age and he responds: 85?
“Yes, it is a surprise to them,” he said.
Mannausau is as humble as it gets. Never one to brag about his accomplishments. But on the ice, smooth as silk. He never tires but when he takes a break on the bench, it is just a matter of seconds before he hops over the boards like a teenager.
Remember, he’s 85.
“I am blessed, good genes. It is all about not stopping, just continually doing it,” he said.
By the way, Mannausau is also a great golfer. He hits the links every day in the summer.
“I keep very active, yes,” he said.
And when he isn’t playing hockey, he works out in his home gym.
“Five days a week, yep,” he said.
Mannausau has played hockey around the world but some of his favorite moments? Skating and playing with all three of his grandchildren. They don’t play as much.
But Grandpa Clayton? You will find him at local rinks at least three nights a week. Slowing down is not an option.
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